Tag: nature

I saw someone post this quote on Instagram today, and I thought how perfect it was for how I’m currently feeling.

You are right where you need to be.

Sometimes I wish I could tattoo this to my forehead when I’m getting carried away in my thoughts, reminiscing on past times or wishing away the time looking forward to some future event. Mindfulness is key to maintaining your sanity in this fast-paced world, where our thoughts are constantly bombarded with worries, emotions, fears, guilt trips, dreams, memories and more. I woke up a little melancholy today, July the 8th in sunny Queensland, where Winter means shorts and a T-shirt with a cool breeze on your back. The Lucky Country right? So I allowed myself 15 minutes of snooze time in bed to wallow in my sadness, before getting up and committing to embracing this day.

I’m honestly believing more and more that happiness can be a choice, a small pledge within yourself to simply power through with a positive attitude. Sure, I’m feeling down about a couple of things – but in the grand scheme of life, am I going to care about them in a years time? Absolutely not. It’s hard to maintain that attitude 24/7 of course, but constantly checking in with yourself especially when you’re feeling glum can help shed a little perspective on the situation. I spent the morning wandering through the Botanic Gardens, simply enjoying the peace of nature, birds singing, sun on my neck and nowhere to be. Getting outdoors is a wonderful mood booster for the soul. Trust me, I know sometimes when you’re feeling completely lethargic, comfortable in your track suit pants and socks, and the last thing you feel like doing is donning some active wear and joggers. But just push yourself to try it… 9 times out of 10 you’ll come home feeling more energetic and clear-headed.

I’ve got a friend who comes to town every 2 months and we always have a little catch up, something that has been an unexpected delight. You see the friend is actually the partner of one of my closest friends, and up until we started catching up on our own the relationship had always been a little more reserved, or courteous I suppose. Now that we’ve established our own friendship though outside of the barriers of knowing each other through someone else, it’s been a lovely little addition to my circle. Anyway the point of me writing about him, is not only to emphasise that good company can often come from unexpected places, but that letting people in can broaden your perspectives as well. On one of his visits we went to Cape Hillsborough, a beach area famous for attracting kangaroos right on the brink of dawn. As we sat on the sand watching the first rays of sunlight pierce the ocean, he told me to just listen to all the types of birds singing. I honestly hadn’t even noticed the birds until he said that – to me they had become background noise. But upon tuning in to the calls of nature, I was totally surprised at just how many different sounds we could hear.

Mindfulness – it’s about appreciating the moment, getting lost in the moment and being grateful for this moment.

On a road trip with my Mum and Step Dad exploring Atherton, Kuranda and Cairns – thought I would share some snaps of our little trip. Gorgeous weather up here in the tropics… you certainly wouldn’t know Winter is just around the corner! Where the rainforest meets the beach, and dairy farms stun visitors with their country side charm. Yesterday we sampled some beautiful cheese and chocolates, before trying organic Chinese for dinner in a medicine/massage shop. Very authentic experience! While we all are battling varying degrees of the flu, spirits are high to be venturing into new places. There’s nothing like a mini-holiday! Sun, sea and sand is all this girl needs to smile 🙂

Can’t wait to imitate this lovely creation at home with all the shells I have been collecting ! Of course I had to buy some fairy lights as well… you can never have too many.

Parents enjoying a sneaky moment in the rain at Kuranda, surrounded by rainforest. Doesn’t get much better.

‘You won’t find any wifi in the forest, but you will find a better connection’

We call ourselves the lucky country, and for very good reason. If you’ve had the fortune of visiting us Down Under, the first thing you might notice is how much space we have. Completely surrounded by ocean, Australia is dotted with coastal cities and beaches, rain forests, cane fields, cliff faces, natural water holes and stories of the Dreamtime. Wide open landscapes fill the country between our major cities, while smaller but charming towns fill our hearts with joy and glimpses of a simple existence. I love the fresh air here, the smell of sea salt on the wind and palm trees swaying in the breeze. Lara Bingle aptly put it, ‘Where the bloody hell are you?’ in this famous tourism advertisement, and she couldn’t have been more right:

I’m lucky enough to call Australia home and am currently living in North Queensland, the state based on the North/East Coast. I felt inspired to write this blog post after a beautiful morning connecting with nature at Cape Hillsborough National Park, about 40 minutes drive from the city of Mackay (my home). We arrived at the park just on dawn this morning where a small group of people were gathered on the beach, watching the majestic kangaroos dotted across the shoreline greeting a new day. This was truly an incredible sight. I’ve seen plenty of kangaroos in my life, but seeing them on this stunning beach at sunrise, hopping along with their babies without a care in the world was really quite breathtaking. As the sun slowly burst through a light cloud cover, my friend and I had a lovely little picnic completely at one with nature and more importantly – no WIFI signal! A truly spectacular morning that I won’t be forgetting.

I know the blogging community is stretched far and wide across the world, which is why I am encouraging those international readers to come visit us here in Australia. You won’t be disappointed 🙂

Sometimes I just want to throw my phone in the ocean and experience the weight of connectivity, responsibility and obligations lift off my shoulders. But would it actually work? Lately I have been coming back and back to that famous quote ‘There is no WIFI in the forest, but I promise you will find a better connection’ and thinking about what this means to me.

On some days the urge to completely disconnect from everyone is pretty damn strong, from the notifications, emails and phone calls to the group chats and friend suggestions. I hide my phone in my room on silent for as long as I can and try to disengage, to spend time in ‘reality’, but then catching up on all the notifications when I pick the phone up again takes longer than if I had of viewed them in real time! It’s a no-win situation.

I think the answer might be in the balance. Yes, I can take time out and enjoy being in the present, engaging with people without the distractions of electronic devices. I can take time out to read my book, walk on the beach, play with animals and help my Nana with the housework. But at the same time, I can also stay connected with people in different cities, collate images I love which inspire me to dream big, and write my own thoughts down in the form of this blog.

Yesterday I went to the beach for my usual afternoon walk around dusk. I usually leave my phone in the car so I can listen to the ocean, but this time I took it with me so I could listen to some Ben Howard while walking. Instead of being able to live in the moment and enjoy nature, I found myself distracted by my apps and ads on Spotify, resulting in a very frustrating experience. I believe the importance of knowing when to switch off is paramount to being happy and truly living in the moment, and I’ve definitely learnt my lesson now!

Try it out as soon as you can – the more you switch off the more you will tune in to who you truly are and what you care about. And always remember, it’s about balance. Yin and Yang.